Island Routes - February 2026 - From the Organiser: The Story and The Movie

An immersive cultural journey

They had travelled from their cold European homelands on a cultural adventure, unsure of what awaited them. Drawn to the small Caribbean island of Barbados by the promise of sunshine and warmth.

Eight people, ten nationalities (Belgium – Colombia - France – Haïti – United Kingdom – Poland - Switzerland – Slovenia – Serbia - Venezuela ) Conversations unfolding across as many languages, with Russian, Arabic and Italian adding more to the mix. That’s how their cultural journey began, with this encounter, this meeting of cultures, personal stories and different viewpoints.

They became inseparable before the official trip even began.

Together, they got to know the island:

They found their favourite beach, swimming to their hearts’ content in the turquoise waters at any time,

Raced to see the sunset, mesmerised by the spellbinding hues of twilight,

Diligently applied themselves to sampling the widest array of cocktails on the beach,

And became regulars at local food courts.

They enjoyed the Reggae bus experience,

Were moved by the sight of racehorses bathing in the sea at dawn,

Applauded the musicians and singers of the Royal Barbados Police Force,

Encountered the island’s famous green monkeys,

And feasted their eyes on the flamboyant colours of tropical flowers.

The more adventurous explored the backstreets of Bridgetown, danced and sang in local rum shops, joined a free fitness class on the beach at 6 am and tried out some dance moves with the locals…Others even organised a screening of a documentary about the Swiss Alps for Barbados’ French-speaking community.

Then Island Routes began, with Professor Yanique Hume -soon simply Yanique- unique, magical and so charismatic!

There weren’t many formal lessons in the classroom. But so many discussions were sparked… on the bus, in cafés, in restaurants, on the beach, etc.

Guided by Yanique along the island’s roads,

They felt the spirit of the island’s first inhabitants in the Arawaks Cave*;

Within the secluded sanctuary of Codrington College’s “cathedral of trees” they were immersed in the resilient spirituality of the enslaved;

They glimpsed beyond the façade of the magnificent plantation houses;

They discovered the therapeutic properties of local plants at the farm of a Spiritual Baptist cultural sanctuary;

They realized that it wasn’t necessary to destroy statues in order reclaim the country’s history… housing them in the national museum was a much better option;

They enjoyed rummaging through the organised chaos of Adrian and Kamala’s Caribbean literature bookshop;

They were fascinated by the history of Creole languages and the linguistic richness of the Caribbean;

They learnt of the folklore and cultural traditions of the Caribbean’s indigenous communities;

They were welcomed into the magnificent home of a gallery owner, who showed them her collection of Caribbean paintings;

They rediscovered their inner child when trying African drums and singing John Belly Mama Digging Cassava, a seemingly innocent nursery rhyme that reveals the horrors of slavery;

All this, and much more, over a ten-day stay that culminated with a cheerful brunch with my Bajan** friends.

And so, as they travelled the roads, they soaked up the spirit of the island and learnt about the region’s history.They returned home, their eyes brimming with colourful images and their souls enriched by new cultural encounters.

 Jihane Sfeir - March 2026

English Translation by Joy Lewis (AAA Translation Services)

 *Arawaks : The earliest inhabitants of Barbados.
**Bajan (pr. bay-djun): noun or adjective, derived from “Barbadian